Faller bar synchronizing and cross-drive



Dec. '16, 1952 R BENTON, JR 2,621,370

FALLER BAR SYNCHRONIZING AND CROSS-DRIVE I Filed Oct. 4, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. RIEZHHRI] G-DENTEINJR'.

HTTEIR'NEYS Dec. 16, 1952 R, G, DENTQN, JR 2,621,370

FALLER BAR SYNCHRONIZING AND CROSS-DRIVE Filed Oct. 4, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. R'IB'HHRB GaDENTUNJR Dec. 16, 1952 R. G. DENTON, JR 2,621,370

FALLER BAR SYNCHRONIZING AND CROSS-DRIVE Filed Oct. 4, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR. Fr'mHFIR JJ I DENTBN JR,

'FITTDR'NEYE Patented Dec. 16, 1952 OFFICE- FALLER BAR SYNCHRONIZIN CROSS-DRIVE Richard G. Benton, J r.,

to The Warner & Sw

Cleveland, Ohio, assignor asey Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Company, Cleveland,

Application October 4, 1949, Serial No. 119,550

Claims. 1 s 1 This invention relates to gill boxes, and more particularly to timing mechanism for the faller bar screws of the rectilinear motion type machines,

The gill boxes of the type to which the invention relates comprise upper and lower sets of fallerbars and their driving screws. Each set in t irn comprises right and left hand pairs .of driving-screws geared together, and the rightand left hand upper pairs are geared respectivelyto the right and left hand lower pairs. Finally, a common drive in the form of a cross-shaft and bevel'gear assembly is provided for all the screws. It is'important that the screws in geared pairs be individually timed with respect to one another so thatthe screws and S-cams will properly transfer faller bars from one screw to the other. It is alsoimportant that the upper and lower pairs be aligned so that the teeth of the upper'and lowerfsets of faller bars alternate. Finally, itis necessary that the right and left hand sets of screws be relatively adjusted so, that the faller bars are disposed in their proper transverse relationship.

In "view of the close spacing of the faller bars, a refined adjustment is desirable, which adjustmentshould be refined enough so that back lajsh afternormalwear will not bring the faller'bars into engagement in a binding or dangerousmanner. Various means have been proposed for adjusting the faller bars, but they have either involved devices such as serrated teeth which do not provide a fine adjustment or devices embodying spaced holes with pin connections wherein adjacent holes are of diiferent angular spacings. With"? the latter arrangement, the adjustment can only be perfected after considerable trial and error and requires an unduly long time on the part of workmen to assemble the unit.

, ,It is an object of the invention to provide a readily selected, precise and refined adjustment between each pair of screws and between upper and" lower pairs of screws. This is accomplished by forming separable gear and hub elements at the screws which include equiangularly spaced recesses and a driving pin. The spacing of the recesses is selected so that there is a small dif ference between the recess spacing and the spacing of two gear teeth. This difierence and the number of recesses are arranged so that by selectively connecting the pin with the recesses, an adjustment is obtained whereby the angular spacing of adjacent gear teeth is divided into equal parts, the number of which equals the number of recesses. The aforesaid division parts of a single tooth angle may in turn be selectively divided into equal subparts by providing another set of equidistant recesses and a driving pin in the other of two meshed gears, the latter recesses being spaced difierently from the spacing of the recesses in the first gear. I have found, for example, that with relatively coarse gears having 16 teeth, and with relatively heavy driving pins, I can obtain a relatively fine minimum adjustment, namely an adjustment in the neighborhood of 30 of arc. This is. accomplished with a structure that is simple, strong, and easily fabricated. I contemplate providing a similar refined adjustment between each upper and lower set of meshed gears.

A further object resides in the provision of a readily adjustable cross-shaft drive between the right and left hand sets of screws. This may take the form of a hub portion for one of the bevel gears that is fixed to the shaft and has a radial arm received in a slot in the gear portion, the slot being wider than the arm. Bytaking .up and loosening opposed screws engaging the hub arm, a very precise and firmly-maintained adjustment may-be provided with all gears in mesh, to transversely align the faller bars.

It is a feature of this adjustment that one of the hub members may be axially split to facilitate assembly of the parts in the framework of the apparatus. V

The manner in which these and other advantages and objects may be attained will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings: 1 j r Fig. 1 is a simplified front elevation of a gill box showing portion of the gearing;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental section through one set of faller bars, screws and gearing;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cross-drive shaft; 7 Fig. 4 is a section to one of the cross-drive adjustment gears taken on 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view of a pair of faller bar gears showing the angular relationship partial section through the gearing of an upper pair of faller bar screws: and r Fig. 6 is a section taken on 6-6 of Fig. 5.

As seen in Fig. 1, tandem gill boxes G may be provided, each including a frame work indicated generally at It), it being understood that in the broader aspects of the invention, a single gill box may be employed- The gill boxshown in Figs. 1 and 2 is of the type-that employsmovable faller bars, advanced andreturned by a helical screw. The arrangement of faller bars shown is one well known in the art wherein upper and lower sets of bars are provided, each set being actuated by right and left hand pairs of faller bar screws, the screws in each pair being geared together. For example, as best seen in Fig. 1, the upper set of faller bar drive includes right and left pairs of upper screw shafts l l and lower screw shafts 12, whereas thelower set includes right and left pairs of upper screw shafts i3 and lower screw shafts [4. The aforesaid shafts carry the advance and return screws, as is well known in the art,. for advancing and returning the upper set of faller bars F and the lower set of faller bars F The gearing and adjustment means. between each of the pairs of faller bars is preferably of the same construction so that the arrangementfor only one pair need be described.v The, con:- struction, as best seen in Figs. and 6, includes the upper shaft H which has a hub element 28- keyed thereto as at 280.: and an associated gear element..2.l-:. A number of adjusting; holesZ-Z are bored in; the. upper; gear- 21: in. accordance: with a=.plan whichwill be. explained indetailpresentlyi;

A. drive. pin 23 isfixedbw any suitable expedient in 111113.20, andmay be selectively fitted into any of the. bores. 22': in the gear element. The gear element 2| is. detachably mounted on; shaft .1: ii by: means of a. bolt .24, threaded into a; tapped hole. 25, and: cooperating: with. the washer 21 to retain the gearin position. A. similar construction. is mountedonshaft l'2, which includes a hub elementiill keyed. toathe shaft. as 317350; a. lower gear elementi-H- inmesh. with the. upper gear 21 and provided with a. series of bores. 32 receiving a pin 33 fixed in hub element 30. The gearing arrangement just described. is repeated ateach pair: of taller bar screws:

order to geartogether the -upper and lower pairs of screws, an interconnect gear- 41, which is formed with a series of bores 42 is retained on an extension of: shaft l2 by means of" a bolt 24 and washer 21. Inorder-to establish: a driving connection from gear 41, a pin 43 is mounted in gear- 3| and slidably: extends intoany oneof theseries of apertures 42- formedin the gear. As seen in Fig. a;- loweni-nterconnnect. gear- 5| mounted onanextension of shaft 13 and drives the lower taller bar gear 24- by means of a pin 53- adjustable in any of a series of bores 52 formed in the gear 5|.

The gearing and driving connectionsjust' described although they are of the simple, rugged construction, are arrangedto provide avery refined or precise adjustment between the various meshed gears. The principles ofthisconstruction may be best understood with reference to Fig. 5 wherein; the pair of gears 2i and-3| is shown, it being understood that the angular values indicated aremerely illustrativeyof a pre-- ferred embodiment andnot, determinative of 7 the scope of" the;.invention-. In the construction shown, the two gears are 16-tooth gears; so that the adjustmentobtainable by shifting-5 one tooth, is- 22 /29; whiclris entirely; toocoarse, an adjustment.

It will .b e,no ted, that there" are seven bores, 22 in the upper gear 21; adjacent of'fthesebores beingspaced at an angle of 48 1:3}. This spacing givesamp le room for a large heavy dutypin. It will be notedthat there'- is a differential angle 0 53 13" between-thisspacing of adjacent bores 22 a-nd a pairof teeth of the-gear. Thus, by using apin-to-tooth adjustment with the upper gear anywhere-from 1. to; G increments of" 3 1-3 angles may be introduced between the-upper. and lower gears. For example, if the upper gear is removed by removing gear M and bolt 24 and the upper gear is advanced so that the pin 23 rests in the next bore 22 and, if at the same time, the lower gear 3| and its shaft are turned in the opposite direction by two teeth when the gears are released, the faller bar screws will-be offset 3 13. A similar construction is provided for the lower gear 3| except that here the bores 32 are six in number instead of seven and they are separated by an angle of 48 45' giving a differential angle relative, to the separation of two gear teeth of 3 45'. These adjustments are set out in the table below;

Bin .to tooth adjustment 'lhole gean:

Unit differential angle 3 13 Total adjustment 6 3 l3'=l9 18' Subtract from onetooth 22 3019 18:

Unit difierential angle 3 45 Subtract from onetooth; 22 301-18 45! 3 45:

Pin to pin adjustment Total: adiustment=5 X132 =2? 4.0!

Subtract. above from unit differential AS, Shown by the aforesaid table, apin-to-tooth adjustment may be eifected with the lower gear which divides each tooth into six equal angular segments- The angles, between. each, of, the sets of bores 22' and 3 2; respectivelmare selected so that a pin.- to-pin adjustment may be made. which divides the unit diiferential angle obtainable by thepi'nto-toothadiustment ofithe gear 21' into six subdivisions. As seen from the table, this subd'uierential angle is only 32. of arc which provides a, very precise, or, refined adjustment. This, small diiferentiali angle. is. obtainable by. unmeshin'g both gears and advancin them. simultaneously by, an equaljnumber of pin apertures. The ad.- justments inst described; are; uniform. and progressiye, and the workman always knows where he stands in performing them, The, assembler can easily select increments from either of the pin t'o tooth differentials and then, refine those incremental; adjustments, by; selecting any desired numberiofthepimto-pin adjustmentincrement's.

The adjustment of the. interconnect gears, which gear;- together' the upper and lower pairs offaller barsis" of: equal importance 'to that .just described because itis necessary that the faller bars alternate insteadofcoming together during the draft' stroke; To this end; the interconnect gears 41' and 5! are provided; with' adjustments like those; justdescribed for the pairs of screw shafts; For" example; thesegears; might be 19- tooth gears-andone may have six-boresl2 spaced by angle'4-l '3", the othenhaving seven bores 52 Wilma-spacing ofeO 30 Thisgives'pin-to-tooth differentialang-les and pin-to-pin' differential angles-thataresomewhat-smallenthan those obtainable in-the construction first described. The adjustment of thesegears is of courseperfor-med after the individual fallenbar screws are aligned together.

Meansareprovid'ewfona fine Vernieradjustment between the rightand left sets of falle'r 7 angle. of

bars with the various gears in mesh. Lower shafts M are extended to receive bevel gears 60 keyed to the shaft El and retained by fastener, 62. A bevel gear 63 is mounted on the crossdrive shaft 64 for meshing with one of the aforesaid bevel gears 60. Shaft 64 is held in place by hearing caps 66 and turns in a ball bearing 61. The other bevel gear 60 is driven by an adjustable or vernier gear indicated generally at A. Gear A includes a gear element and a split hub element composed of sections H and Ha, section II being keyed to the shaft as at 12 and the two sections clamped to the shaft by means of screws 13. Section Ha of the hub element is provided with an arm 14 which extends freely into a notch 15 formed in the gear element I0. In order to adjustably connect the hub and the gear elements, opposed set screws 16 are threaded into the gear element 10 so as to engage opposite sides of the hub element arm 14. The clearance between the arm 14 and the notch 75 should be substantially equal to the angular space between corresponding points on adjacent teeth on the bevel gear 10. With this construction, gear 83 on shaft 64 may be meshed with gear 60 in the faller bar train and gear 60 in the other or righthand train of gears turned to approximate alignment, which alignment is close enough so that error is no greater than the angle represented by one tooth of the bevel gear.

The gear element 10 which is mounted on the shaft but clear of gear 60 may now be slid along the shaft to mesh with gear 60 and the split hub elements applied and clamped. A very fine and precise vernier adjustment is then obtainable by manipulation of screws 16 so that the right and left hand faller bar screws may be precisely aligned with all gears.

Thus, it can be seen with the construction described, each pair of faller bar screws may be aligned together within a tolerance that is much less than the amount of lost motion or back lash normally encountered. In the interconnection, the upper and lower pairs of screws may be likewise precisely aligned. No fine serrated teeth are required, the adjustment being simple to machine and of strong construction. Yet, the clearance may be adjusted by increments as fine as 30 of angle or less, and this is done without trial and error because the various increments of adjustment may be regularly and progressively selected, according to a simple pattern or plan.

Finally, by use of the vernier bevel gear and hub elements, the right and left pairsof geared screws may be aligned for transverse orientation of the faller bars, the only requirement being that the gears be meshed accurately enough so that the adjustment falls within the range of the vernier screw adjustment.

Having completed the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it

will be apparent that various modifications there-' of may be made without departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gill box, an upper set of faller bar translating means, said upper set comprising right and left pairs of lead and return screws, first gear means between each pair of screws, said first gear means including adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the individual screws of each pair, a similarly arranged lower set of faller bar translating means including adjustment. means between each pair of screws, second gear means forgearing together the right upper and lower pairs of screws and the left upper and lower pairs of screws, said second gear means comprising adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the associated upper and lower pairs of screws, and third gear means for gearing together said right and left pairs of screws, said third gear means comprising adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between said right and left pairs of screws with all of said means in mesh.

2. In a gill box, an upper set of faller bar translating means, said upper set comprising right and left pairs of lead and return screws, first gear means between each pair of screws, said first gear means including differential adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the individual screws of each pair, said differential adjustment means comprising a connection between each gear and its screw that provides for mounting the gear in a plurality of equally-spaced angular positions on the screw, the spacing of the angular positions of one of the pair of meshed gears being greater than that of the other, a similarly arranged lower set of faller bar translating means including adjustment means between each pair of screws, second gear means for gearing together the right upper and lower pairs of screws and the left upper and lower pairs of screws, said second gear means comprising adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the associated pairs of screws, and third gear means for gearing together said right and left pairs of screws, said third gear means comprising adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between said right and left pairs of screws with all of said gear means in mesh.

3. In a gill box, an upper set of faller bar translating means, said upper set comprising right and left pairs of lead and return screws, first gear means between ach pair of screws, said first gear means including adjustment means for providing precise adjustmentbetween the individual screws of each pair, a similarly arranged lower set of faller bar translating means includ- ,ing adjustment means between each pair of screws, second gear means for gearing together the right upper and lower pairs of screws and the left. upper and lower pairs of screws, said second gear means comprising adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the associated upper and lower pairs of screws, one of said left screws and the right screw horizontally aligned therewith each including a shaft extension carrying first bevel gears, a cross-shaft carrying bevelfgears for meshing with said first bevel gears, one of said bevel gears including adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between said right and left pairs of screws with all of said gear means in mesh.

4. In a gill box, an upper set of faller bar translating means, said upper set comprising right and left pairs of lead and return screws, first gear means between each pair of screws, said first gear means including diiferential adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the individual screws of each pair, said differential adjustment means comprising a connection between each gear and its screw that provides for mounting the gear in a plurality of equally-spaced angular positions on the screw, the spacing of the angular positions of one of the pair of meshed gears being greater than that of the other, a similarly arranged lower set of faller bar translating means including adjustment means between each pair of screws; second: gear means. for. gearing. together the: right. upper. and lower pairs of. screws: and the left upper:- and: lower pairs. of screws, said second: gear means comprising adjustment. means: for providing: precise adjustment betweenthe associated pairs of' screws, and third gear means. for gearing toegether. said right and leftpairs or screws-said third gear means comprising adj ustment-means for providing precise: adjustment: between said right and left pairs, of screws with all of. said gear means in mesh;

5..In a gill box, an upper set of," faller bar translating means. said upper set: comprising right. and left pairs oflead and return screws, first; gear meansbetween each; pair of) screws; said. first gear means: including; first difierential adjustment means for providing precise: adjust-- ment between the screws of. each pair, saidfirst differential adj ustmentmeans comprising aicon neetionbetween each. gear and its. screw that provides formounting the gear? in aiplurality. of equally-spaced angular positions on. the screw, the-spacin ofthe angular positionsofzoneiof the pair of meshed gears beinggreatenthan that-of the other, a similarly arranged lowerset of'faller bar translating means. including adjustment meansbetween each pair of screws, secondgear means for gearing togetherthe right'upper'a'nd lower. pairs of screws: and the left upper and lower. pairs: of. screws,. said second gear means. comprising second differential adjust-mentmeans comprising a connection between each gear and screw that provides for mounting the gear in' a plurality of equally-spaced angularpositions on the screw, the spacing of the angular positions of one of the pair of meshed gears being greater than that ofthe other, and-thirdgear meansfor gearing together said right and leftpairs of screws, saidthird gear means-comprising adjustment meansfor providingprecise adjustmentbetween saidi'right'and leftipairsof screws with .all .of said 'gear. means in mesh.

Grin-a gill'box, an upper set of'faller bar translating: means, said". upper set comprising righttand left pairs of leadandf return screws, first gear" means between each pair: oft screws, said first gear" means. including; adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the individual screws: of" each I pair; aisimilarlyarranged lower set of faller bar translatingmeans includingadjustment means between each pair. of' screws, second gear means for. gearing together the right upper and lower pairs; of screwsand the.- left' upper, and lower pairsof screws; said second gear meanscomprising adjustment means for providingpreciseadjustment between the associated-pairs Ofscrewsone of said left screws and the right screw. horizontally; aligned therewith each including a shaft extension carrying'a first. bevel gear, a;cross-shaft carrying. bevel gears for-meshing, with said first bevel gears, one of said bevel gears including-a hub portion fixed toitsshaft and having a radial arm and av gear portion rotatable onthe'shaft and having opposed adjusting-screws engaging said arm for. providing'precise adjustment between said right and left pairs of screws with all of said gear meansin mesh.

'7'. In a gill box, an upper set offaller-bar-translating means, said upper set comprisingvright and left pairs of lead and-returrr screws, first gear means between each pair of screws, saidfirst gear means including adjustment means for providin precise. adjustment between the indi v-idual screws of each pair, a" similarly arranged lower set of fall'er bar translating means includ ing adjustment means between each pair or screws, second gear means for gearingtogethe'r the right upper and lowerpairs of screws' a'indthe' left upper and lower pairs, said second gear: means comprising adjustment means for provid ing precise adjustment between the associated pairsofscrews, one of said left screws and the" right screw horizontally aligned therewith each;

including a shaftext'ension carrying afirstbevel gear,v a= cross-shaft carrying bevel gears for meshing with said" first bevel gears, the inner bevelgear onsaid cross-shaft including ailiub' split portion clamped to the-shaft and having a"- radial arm'and a gear portionrotatableon the shaft and' having'opposed' adjusting screwsen gaging said arm for providing preciseadjustment betweensaidright" and leftpairs of' screws with'all of'said gearmeans in mesh.

8. In'agillbox, an' upper set of faller bartrans' latingme'ans, said "upper set comprising right and left pairsof lead and return" screws, first gear means between each pair of screws, said first gear means including adjustment means for pro viding preciseadjustment between the individual screws of each-pair; a similarly arranged lower set of faller bar translating means including'ad-' justment means between each pair" of screws, second 'gear means for gearingtogethenth'eright' upper and lower pairs of screws" and the left upper and lower pairs of screws, said secondgear means comprising adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the" associated upper and-lower pairs of screws, said first gear and adjustment means comprisingseparablegearand gear hub elements on each screw, means for establishing a driving connection between one gear element and itshubielement'comprising a projection on one element and a plurality of angularlydisposed, equally-spaced, projection receiving recesses on the'otherelem'ent, there being "a unitdifference angle between the angleineluded by adjacent recesses and that includedby'. spacedgear-teeth, the product ofsaidunitdiffefl ence angle and the number'of recesses being subfirst gear-means betweeneach pair'of screws, said' first gear means including adjustment means for providing preciseadjustment'between the individua'l'screws of each pair, a similarly arranged lower set'of faller bar translating'means includ ing' adjustment" means between i each pair of screws, second 'gear means for gearing-together the right upper and flower pairsofscrews and the left upper and lower pairs of-screws, said second' gear. means comprising adjustment-:means for providing precise adjustment between the associate'diupper and lower pairs of screws, said first and second gear and adjustment means comprising separable gear and gear hub elements on one of said upper screws and the corresponding lower screw of each set, means for establishing adriving connection between each gear ele-- ment and'its hub element comprising' a'projection ononeelement andaplurality of angularl .disposed, equally-spaced, projection-receivingrecesses on the other element, there being a unit difference angle between the angle included by. adjacent recesses-and that included by-spaced gearteeth, the... product of said --unit difference angle and the number of recesses being substantially equal to the angle between adjacent gear teeth, there being a second unit difference angle between the angles included by adjacent recesses in each of said two sets of recesses, the product of said second unit difierence angle and the number of recesses in one pair of elements substantially equalling said first unit diiference angle.

10. In a gill box, an upper set of faller bar translating means, said upper set comprising right and left pairs of lead and return screws, first gear means between each pair of screws, said first gear means including adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the individual screws of each pair, a similarly arranged lower set of faller bar translating means including adjustment means between each pair of screws, second gear means for gearing together the right upper and lower pairs of screws and the left upper and lower pairs of screws, said second gear means comprising adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between the associated upper and lower pairs of screws, said first and second gear and adjustment means comprising separable gear and gear hub elements on one of said upper screws and the corresponding lower screw of each set, means for establishing a driving connection between each gear element and its hub element comprising a projection on one element and a plurality of angularly disposed, equally-spaced, projection-receiving recesses on the other element, there being a unit difference angle between the angle included by adjacent recesses and that included by spaced gear teeth, the product of said unit difference angle and the number of recesses being substantially equal to the angle between adjacent gear teeth, there being a second unit difference angle between the angles included by adjacent recesses in each of said two sets of recesses, the product of said second unit difierence angle and the number of recesses in one pair of elements substantially equalling said first unit difierence angle, and third gear means for gearing together said right and left pairs of screws, said third gear means comprising adjustment means for providing precise adjustment between said right and left pairs of screws with all of said means in mesh.

RICHARD G. DENTON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,876,936 Holdsworth Sept. 13, 1932 2,208,318 Berker July 16, 1940 2,245,075 Mingle June 10, 1941 2,385,918 Heberlein Oct. 2, 1945 2,431,412 Monahan Nov. 25, 1947 

